Man Without Thumbs Denied Service
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Posted: 11:55 AM Sep 2, 2009
Man Without Thumbs Denied Service
While most banks require a thumb print to cash a check from someone who doesn't have an account at the bank, a Tampa man says it's impossible for him to comply. Now it appears that the man may be the victim of discrimination.
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Steve Valdez tried to cash a check his wife wrote to him on her Bank of America Account., but a bank branch in Tampa insisted he had to put his thumbprint on the check before it could be cashed.
But Valdez couldn't give a thumb print because he was born without arms and doesn't have hands and fingers
Valdez says he handed the teller the check with the prosthetic hands and the teller said obviously you can't give us a thumb print.
When the branch manager realized he couldn't give a thumb print, she said he could bring in his wife or open a checking account.
Valdez says that's not the way they would treat someone who doesn't have prosthetic arms and he refused to do that.
Valdez says he asked if they were aware of the Americans With Disabilities Act and federal law.
The manger said yes, they were offering him accommodations by giving him those two options.
A spokesperson for Bank of America says while the thumb print is a requirement for those who don't have accounts, the bank should have made accommodations
She says the company plans to contact Valdez and apologize.


Latest Comments

Posted by: Concerned Location: Tallahassee on Sep 8, 2009 at 01:19 PM

I can believe this, I work at a bank and have thoroughly been discriminated against due to my disabilities. I was told by Human Resources that the Americans with Disabilities Act is a process, I reminded them that it is a Federal Law.
Posted by: gus Location: tally on Sep 8, 2009 at 11:57 AM

Y....and you wonder why people feel as if blacks are less educated (even though blacks have more options available). You are the perfect representation of whats wrong with black America...
Posted by: rob Location: tally on Sep 8, 2009 at 11:54 AM

Its funny....BOA will give illegals accounts and loans with very little identification, completely disobeys written rule, and now pulls this...and yet some many still bank with them...
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